----------------Original Message: Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2007 19:14:16 -0800 From: Gene Buckle <geneb at simpits.com> Subject: Cromemco Unix? To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts <cctalk at classiccmp.org> Odd Cromemco system: http://cgi.ebay.com/CROMEMCO-SUPER-MICROCOMPUTER-VINTAGE_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ… I've never seen this machine before. I had no idea Cromemco was into Unix. g. ---------------Reply: Nothing odd about it; they'd had Cromix, a sort-of-UNIX available on their Z80 and 68000 systems since around 1980, but by the mid-80s they finally cried uncle and made UNIX systems available with the x20 series, essentially the same S-100 boxes as the older ones, i.e. a 120 was essentially an upgraded System 1, a 220 an upgraded CS-2 (Z-2) and the 320 was the System 3 (8" FD), all with slightly changed styling, a 68010 or 68020 with a 68881, minimum 2MB, minimum 9 ports and an external DC600 tape drive. They also brought out a new CS-400/420 tower version with the tape drive built in. The x00 series were essentially the same systems but running Cromix, although since they were S-100 systems you could put whatever cards you wanted into them and run whatever you wanted, even CP/M or CDOS (their CP/M clone), although with the later CPU boards without a Z80 those programs ran on the Z80 in the I/O processor. I believe there was also a 4000 Mammoth running parallel 68030s on the VME bus, although I don't have one and have never even seen one. I've got two of the 420s sitting on my verandah gathering snow; wonder what the cold'll do to the infamous rollers in the tape drives... I could dig out some old price lists if anyone's interested in the available models. mike